


9 Paragraphs for the Prophet

by hopelocklet



Series: 12 Days Of (Drarry) Christmas [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Draco Malfoy Has Long Hair, First Kiss, Fluff, Humor, M/M, reporter draco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelocklet/pseuds/hopelocklet
Summary: Draco is a reporter who is assigned to write a story on how Harry Potter spends the holidays.





	9 Paragraphs for the Prophet

“I understand why they want the article, I just don’t understand why they’d want you to write it,” Harry said, eyeing Malfoy skeptically. When Harry had gotten an owl from the Daily Prophet asking if they could do a holiday feature on him, Harry had been reluctant, and if he hadn’t known that half the profits the paper made from that issue were to be donated to a charity for war orphans, he wouldn’t have agreed at all. And now that he found out that Draco Malfoy was the reporter assigned to the story, he sort of wished he could take it back.

“Because I know you,” Malfoy said matter-of-factly.

“Don’t do that. Don’t act like we’re friends. You don’t know me.” Harry crossed his arms and stared Malfoy down. 

“Just think of this as our chance to become friends then, Potter.” Draco did this little half smile, half smirk thing with his mouth that made Harry want to comply. But then Harry resolutely turned his gaze away from Malfoy and looked around at the other people in the café, as he was not going to let Malfoy write a story about him, no matter how pretty he was. Malfoy sighed and ran a hand through his long hair when he realized Harry was not going to respond. “Please, Potter. All I need is nine paragraphs on how you spend your holiday season so I can afford to buy Teddy that training broom he wants for Christmas.” Malfoy made puppy dog eyes, but Harry was not changing his mind.

“I guess it’s a good thing that I already bought that training broom for Teddy then.”

Malfoy frowned. “Git. Well then I’ll get him tickets to a Puddlemere match. Still will need to write the article to pay for it, though.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You must have millions of galleons in Gringotts, Malfoy. You’re not fooling me.”

“Actually, I don’t. The Ministry took ninety percent of our savings in the war trials. Which is why I currently am sharing a tiny, two bedroom apartment with Pansy and Theo.” Malfoy raised an eyebrow at Harry, as if daring him to accuse him of lying again.

Harry sighed internally, knowing that he was about to agree to this. “Fine,” he said. “You can do the article.”

Malfoy smiled brightly, and Harry had to look away in order to stop himself from thinking that Malfoy’s smile was one of the most charming things in the world. “Thank you, Potter. This will bring in a lot of money we can donate for war orphans.” Harry nodded, but he was still grimacing. “And who knows, Potter? After spending some time with me, you might find out that you actually like me.”   
“Not likely,” Harry huffed.

…

“So what’re we doing today, Potter?” Malfoy asked as he hurried after Harry on Diagon Alley.

It was Saturday morning, the ninth of December, and it was Malfoy’s first day of following Harry around to get information for his article. They hadn’t been together for even an hour yet, and Harry was already sure that agreeing to the article had been a mistake.

“Shopping,” Harry said. 

“Oh, good. Who do you typically buy presents for? And why do you buy presents for those people in particular?” Malfoy pulled out his quill and notebook. 

Harry sighed. This was going to be a long day.

…

“This is last shop of the day,” Harry informed Malfoy as they walked into Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment. Harry was relieved that the day was over, but in all honesty it hadn’t been so bad. Malfoy actually turned out to be funny, which Harry wasn’t expecting. He was also skilled at picking out presents, and multiple times throughout the day Harry found himself asking for Malfoy’s opinion on a gift he was considering buying.

“What are we looking for here?” Malfoy asked, looking around at all the various potions tools, magical art supplies, and wand accessories in the shop. 

“A wand decal, for Andromeda.” Harry led them to the wand accessories section of the shop, and immediately started inspecting their collection of tassels that attached to the end of a wand.

While Harry did this, Malfoy wandered around the section. He looked in interest at a wand cleaning set that supposedly made one’s wand ‘shine like a star’, and then he looked to the product to the right of it, bursting out into laughter when he did.

“Potter! Come here, I’ve found something you might want!”

Harry grabbed the wand tassel that he thought Andromeda would most like, then he set off to find Malfoy.

“What is it?” Harry said once he saw Malfoy.

Malfoy simply held up a package containing a charmed ring for a wand that would transfigure  the wand into a dildo. Harry gasped. 

“What the hell is that? Malfoy, put it back. Right now. Put it back right now,” Harry said in a hushed, urgent tone.

Malfoy shook his head and laughed. “I think we need a picture of you with this for the paper.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”   
“It is funny. You’re buying Andromeda’s gift at a store that sells dildos.”

Harry fought back a laugh and said again, “Put it back.”   
“No. Why should I? What if I’m considering buying it?” Malfoy raised his eyebrow at Harry.

“Yes, I’m sure that would make a lovely gift for your father,” Harry said sarcastically.

“Not as a gift, for my own pleasure.” 

Harry turned red, but he laughed. “Come on, Malfoy, be serious. Just put that thing down.”

“I am serious. I want to buy it.” To prove his point, Malfoy walked up to the counter of the shop and set the package down. He cleared his throat to capture the attention of the cashier, which to Harry’s chagrin was an elderly woman. The woman’s eyes widened at the sight of the product in front of her, and she avoided looking at the package again as she rang up the purchase. Harry stared in disbelief during the whole exchange

After Malfoy finished paying for his item, Harry went to the counter to buy the tassel. 

The cashier rang up the purchase and asked Harry, “Are you dating that man?”

Harry blushed and stammered, “No, no. I don’t- That is, I have no idea who he is.”

Unfortunately for Harry, Malfoy heard the woman’s question and he called out to Harry, “Hey, babe, hurry up! Let’s get home and put this thing to good use.” Malfoy held up the bag with the dildo.

The cashier gave Harry a look, and as soon as Harry had paid, he got out of the store as fast as he could. 

“What is wrong with you?” Harry said as soon as Malfoy caught up with him.

Malfoy smiled triumphantly. “You have to admit that was funny. Did you see the look on her face?” Harry remained straight-faced, so Malfoy elbowed him, saying, “Come on, admit it, Potter. Come on.”

Harry reluctantly cracked a smile. “Okay, it was funny, but I think you traumatised that woman.”

Malfoy laughed, which in turn made Harry laugh, and the two of them laughed all the way to the Leaky Cauldron, where they were going for dinner.

…

“So when can I see you again?” Malfoy asked during dinner. 

“What?” Harry said, strangely feeling like Malfoy was asking him on a date.

“To get more information for the article, you know.”

“Oh.” Harry tried not to sound disappointed. “Uh, I have a Christmas event at the Ministry next Friday, if you want to come. And then on the twenty first I’m taking Teddy sledding, then to make a Gingerbread house, then to  _ A Christmas Carol _ , the play. You could spend the day with us.”

Malfoy smiled. “Excellent.”

…

It was the twenty first, and Draco- yes, Harry called him Draco now- and Harry had just dropped off Teddy at Andromeda’s.

They were walking to the nearest Apparition point in the dark, the path lighted by Harry’s Lumos, standing so close to each other that their fingers brushed.

“I have all I need to write the nine paragraphs now. Thanks, Harry.”

“No problem,” Harry said, aiming to sound light-hearted despite the weight he felt on his heart.

“I guess we have no reason to see each other anymore. You must be happy about that,” Malfoy said, not even attempting to hide the dejection in his voice.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve had so much fun with you. More than I’ve had in awhile, honestly.”

“Really?” Harry could hear Draco’s smile in his tone.

“Yeah. And, you know, I think we do have a reason to keep spending time together.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

“To date.”

Draco stopped in his tracks. 

“Draco? Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume. We don’t have to go out if you don’t want.”

“No, I do. I do want. That’s not why I stopped walking.”

“Then why?”

“To do this.”

Draco pressed his lips to Harry’s and wrapped his arms around Harry. Harry dropped his wand in order to run his hands through Draco’s long hair, something he’d been wanting to do all day.

When they broke apart, Harry said, “I guess I was wrong, doing the article was actually a good thing.”

“Harry Potter? Wrong? I don’t believe it.”

Harry laughed. “Shut up,” he said, and he kissed Draco again.


End file.
